


Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them

by Lordoflesamis



Series: Rick & Morty/Gravity Falls [1]
Category: Gravity Falls, Rick and Morty
Genre: I'm not sorry, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-08
Updated: 2017-12-01
Packaged: 2018-10-16 13:27:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10572243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lordoflesamis/pseuds/Lordoflesamis
Summary: It's the return to the falls/ Rick & Morty crossover nobody asked me or wants me to write! When Dipper and Mabel find out they'll be sharing the shack with two other teens, Dipper is hesitant and Mabel is excited. But it all changes when Dipper begins to develop feelings- and Mabel wrongly assumes they're for Summer, who seems to be exactly his type. Things only get worse when Rick decides to come back for Morty, and Grunkle Stan makes a shocking announcement. Just... Headcannons galore essentially, with a little bit of "making all my faves gay" vibe.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sorry for writing this at all. I'm just deeply ashamed to be publishing it.

Mabel was fairly certain she’d never been more excited in her entire life. It had been almost three years since their last stay in Gravity Falls, and since Grunkle Stan and Ford had set sail. It would be less than 24 hours until they were all back at the mystery shack, the twins holed up in their small attic room, ready to explore the strange wilderness once more.

Their parents couldn’t understand why their children, now fifteen, were so happy about spending another summer in a poky old tourist trap in Oregon. They had assumed that Mabel’s letters home were make-believe, and continued to laugh off Dipper’s paranormal investigations- though they had gathered him quite a following on youtube. But they, smiling fondly, walked them to the bus stop and waved at their twins from outside as they climbed on- and laughed when Mabel ran back for another hug. 

“I can’t believe Soos and Melody are getting married this summer!” Mabel whooped, and Dipper agreed, lifting the dry-cleaning he was holding for the both of them;

“I can’t believe we’re both part of the wedding.”

“I can, they’re our family!” she grinned, and suddenly looked panicked, “Did I pack my retainer?”

“I packed it,” Dipper said, “Did I bring my backup-“

“Camera?” Mabel said, holding it up to her face, “Got you bro-bro”

They high-fived, laughing. Dipper took a moment to look at his sister, his best friend. She was a few inches shorter than him for the first time in their lives, and had cut her hair to shoulder length a few months ago, much to her own chagrin. Replaced also was the headband with large pink cat-eared headphones which generally occupied her neck. Today she wore a hand-made jumper (with the words GRAVITY FALLS embroidered on the front) and jeans, and her hair was plaited down the back. She was also, unlike he was, wearing her glasses, which were the same pink as her jumper. (She had four different pairs, black, white, blue and pink to match her outfits.) Dipper tended to use his only for reading, having a lesser prescription than his sister. 

Dipper smiled, “selfie?”

“Of course,” Mabel grinned, pulling a peace sign as they took the photo, “Gotta start the scrapbook!” 

Dipper nodded, then withdrew his journal from his backpack. As the bus set off, he pulled the pen out from behind his ear and began his first entry (new journal bought specially, his fourth Pine Tree inscription on the front.)

Saturday, 24th June 2017

Mabel and I are returning to Gravity Falls, a hub of paranormal activity and strange sightings. Here I have many a happy memory, but far more intriguing ones and a few I’d rather not remember. It will be nice to see the inhabitants again, but fascinating to take advantage of our stay to further my investigations. Also, our great uncles will be returning within the week from their voyage, on which I’m certain they have had a great deal of adventures worth sharing.   
Excited doesn’t begin to cover it. 

///

 

Meanwhile, in another part of the country a very different conversation was taking place.   
“No buts Morty.” Beth said, “A summer away from your grandfather isn’t going to kill you.” 

“B-but Mum!” Morty moaned, “I-i-I don’t want to go to Oregon all summer! I-ive got stuff to do here! And-and besides Rick needs me! R-right Rick?”

Rick shrugged, then belched, “I don’t really care at this point. Go have fun at summer camp, telling h-horror stories around the fire or or practising kissing or whatever it is kids do.” 

“Rick!” Morty yelped, but his tirade of high-pitched protests was interrupted by the entrance of his sister, still on her phone, dragging a suitcase.

“Relax Morty, mum will call us back as soon as she gets sick of spending so much time alone with her wine.”

“Summer,” chided Beth, unconvincingly offended, “Look, it’s this or you two get to spend the summer caravanning for our family to- I don’t know bond or something.”

Summer sighed and flicked her hair while Morty groaned. Rick took a swig from his flask, “can you two go be dramatic somewhere else I’m trying to work!”

“You’re driving us, grandpa.” Summer said, smirking.

“God fucking damnit. Alright get in the ship.”

///

The trip seemed, at least to Dipper, who didn’t have the same knack of falling asleep automatically on moving vehicles that his sister did, much longer this time around. Maybe it was his excitement, he thought, staring idly out of the window. He considered writing more in his journal, but thought better of it- he was planning on posting this journal on his ever-popular Dipper’s Guide to the Unexplained blog- an accompaniment to his Pines Paranormals YouTube. He shouldn’t just write constantly.

A sign told them they were ten miles out of Gravity Falls, and so, because they were the only ones on the bus, whooped with excitement, and shook Mabel awake. She blinked a few times, groggy, before grinning, her default expression. Dipper once again marvelled at her. 

“Yes!” She beamed, “I’m so excited to see Soos and Wendy and Melody again!”

“Don’t forget Candy, Grenda and Pacifica” Dipper smiled, “And Fiddleford. And Robbie” he shuddered, “I wonder if he’s still… like that.”

“We’ll see!” Mabel smiled, then picked up Wendy’s hat, “You might wanna put this on for when we get to the Shack.”  
Dipper smiled, running a thumb on the fur, “I’ve missed her.” 

“Me too,” Mabel said, then pulled a suggestive face, “I’ll bet you have.”

Dipper laughed and shoved her playfully, “I’ve told you I’m over that. Besides she’s eighteen now, we’re not even sixteen, that’s just weird.”

“Yeah, like it wasn’t weird before.” Mabel rolled her eyes, then suddenly shrieked, “I can see the water tower!”

“They never did clean up the muffin- I mean explosion.” Dipper grinned, chuckling at his own joke. Mabel snorted, then climbed over her brother and ran to the opposite window.

“There’s the graveyard! And the statue of the fake founder!” She yelled, pointing out each landmark as they passed. Dipper, refusing to restrain himself any longer, leapt out of his chair and ran to join his sister, Wendy’s hat on his head. His hair was just as out of control as he had always been, but rarely covered his birth mark any more, and he wasn’t used to it on his face anymore, he rubbed at his forehead as he moved. 

She grabbed his arm, “There it is, Dipper! The Shack!” 

The shack had been fixed up since their departure. The word SHACK read, miraculously, SHACK- perhaps because Stan was no longer occupying it. A marquee, covered in plastic flowers, had been set up a little whiles away from the entrance to the gift shop, the words SUMMER EXHIBIT in sparkly silver writing on a large pointing sign. On the porch stood Soos, who hadn’t changed, and Melody, who waved enthusiastically as they climbed off the bus. Mabel ran straight into Soos’ arms at his cry of “Mabel! Dipper! Dudes!”, leaving Dipper to carry her bag over to Melody, who embraced him,

“Jeez you’ve got tall!” She exclaimed, grabbing at his face. 

Dipper had grown into a typical teenager, too tall for his trousers though still maintaining a little baby fat. He wore mainly plaid and jeans, but could be seen sporting a nice shirt if the occasion called for it, and up until very recently had had a problem with acne which threatened to return if he ate greasy foods. His hobbies were mainly the obsession with the paranormal but he also liked star wars and comic books, all three of which interests were shared by his sister. 

“Melody!” Mabel shrieked, wrapping her arms around the woman, and Dipper found himself enveloped in a Soos hug.

“Dude I’m so glad to see you dude,” Soos grinned, ruffling his hair- for he still had a good foot and a half on his friend. Dipper grinned, “Hiya Soos.”

“Come in, I made abuela’s cookies,” Melody smiled, waving the twins into the shack. 

“Yay!” Mabel yelled, following Melody into the shack.

Soos pulled Dipper aside, suddenly looking shifty, “Dude I know you just got here but there’s something I need to show you.”

“Oh,” Dipper gulped, feeling his anxiety spike, “What is it?”

Soos met his eyes, suddenly anxious himself, “it’s just… there’s something in the woods. I thought we could go check it out later, after the cookies I mean.”

“Wha?” Dipper gaped, “Why wait?”

Soos laughed, suddenly at ease- Dipper was not- “Because the cookies are delicious! Besides, there’s always something going on in those woods!” He said airily, as if it was nothing. Dipper smiled despite his concerns; he supposed living in Gravity Falls would do that to you.

“If you say so,” Dipper said, glancing at the trees over his shoulder. If he’d looked a little bit harder, perhaps he would have seen the staring yellow eyes. All six of them. 

///

The house part of the shack was the most noticeably changed. It was brighter in colour; comic books littered the sides, and everything was prettier. The curtains, carpets and sofas had been replaced in the living room to create a much more welcoming, brighter room. However, the rest had remained fairly similar. (The prices in the gift shop were more reasonable)

The attic room in which the twins would be staying had been made up ready for them a lot nicer and with more thought than they had originally. Three pink pillows and a rainbow-covered duvet signalled Mabel’s side of the room, opposite a mostly plain black bedspread with delicate constellations on the duvet cover for Dipper. Strangely, though, two more beds occupied the space, a plain pink one on the same side as Mabel, nearer the door, and a plain blue opposite. 

“Er, Soos?” Dipper asked, “Are you expecting two sets of twins?”

“No Dude,” their friend laughed, “Melody’s mum’s friend Beth has sent her two kids down to stay here for the summer.”

Dipper sat down on his bed, smiling as Mabel lept onto hers and began putting her posters on the wall, and turned to Melody who had joined her fiancé in the doorway.

“Yeah, Morty’s just turned sixteen, and his sister Summer is the same age as Wendy, so everything works out just great!” 

“When are they arriving?” Mabel asked, jumping down.

“Tomorrow morning,” Melody smiled, handing Soos another cookie, “Beth said that Morty has similar interests in aliens and things to you, Dipper.”

Dipper smiled, and, when Mabel went downstairs with the adults got his journal and glasses out of his bag.

We’ve been back in Gravity Falls for less than half an hour and already things are getting interesting. Our host and my friend Soos pulled me aside away from my sister to tell me that something is troubling him, something in the woods. As shown in my earlier journals, the woods around Gravity Falls hold a great deal of strange creatures, from the irritating and vicious gnomes through snooty unicorns to the remains of Bill Cipher, the demon who terrorised my family some years back. I have planned on going back to find him, to perhaps study him with my great uncle Ford, but until his return I am reluctant to go into the woods by myself. Perhaps Mabel and Soos can be persuaded. 

“Wendy!” Mabel’s shout resounded around the shack, and Dipper jumped and smudged the ink.

“Dammit.” He muttered, shutting the journal and heading downstairs, first checking his hair in the mirror. He had gotten over his strange crush on Wendy, despite the two keeping in contact throughout their time apart. She still worked at the Mystery Shack over the summer, but during the rest of the year she had been enrolled in a college in Portland, where she’d always wanted to live. She had a boyfriend there, and Dipper was certain of his platonic feelings, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to look like he’d aged well- even if the age gap still applied.

“Dipper!” She yelled, before he could even catch sight of her, and he was wrapped in flannel. As his friend pulled back he met her eyes, then glanced up at his pine tree hat still proudly on her head. 

“Time to swap back, huh?” She grinned, doing so and winking.

Dipper grinned back, “Still working at this dump huh?”

“Are you kidding? I get a decent wage for sitting down all day!” She smiled, softer, eyes shining, “but best of all I get to go hunt down monsters with you guys! It’s gonna be a great summer.” 

///

“This is gonna be the worst summer of my life.” Morty mumbled, glaring at Rick, who didn’t respond, one hand on the steering wheel, the other lifting his flask to his mouth.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow update- i've had some personal issues but they're majorly resolved now- so more frequent updates!

There was a sudden noise that broke through the quiet, making Dipper tense where he sat on the window-seat. He hadn’t been able to sleep, uneasiness settling into his chest for an unknown reason- perhaps it was excitement, or concern- and had instead sat up sketching the forest, looking at the stars and listening to the crickets outside. 

He jumped, dropping his journal and pencils, and stepped back from the window as a bright light filled the room, and a space-ship began descending, “Oh my god!” he yelled, then ran to wake Mabel in the next room, who stirred not at the whirring of the ship’s engine but at the door opening again.

“Dipper? What is it?”

“There’s a UFO outside! Like a real UFO!”

“A what?” she gaped, following him into the hall. 

The clock on her bedside table read 4:30. The detour to C-132 had taken a lot less time than Rick had expected, and he was sick of Morty begging him to reconsider. He might avoid some old… acquaintances this way, too. And the kids were asleep, the movement of the ship too familiar to bother them. Why not bring them to the shack now? 

Morty jolted awake when the ship landed, gasping audibly. Summer blinked blearily in the darkness, and the blinding light of her phone being turned on made both those in the front wince.

“Alright y-y-you two. Here we we- we’re here.” Rick said, kicking open his door and helping Summer out the back, rolling his eyes to keep up the pretence of nonchalance. 

Morty considered trying to stay in the ship for a few seconds, his knees tucked to his chest.

“Don’t make this hard Morty.” 

He groaned, grabbing his case out the seat behind, and opened the other door, shivering as a cold dawn chill bit at his bare arms. It was colder here than where they lived, he had been right to pack jumpers as his mum had suggested. 

Where they stood looked creepy in the dark. The building creaked in the wind, several attractions causing odd silhouettes in the dim light of early morning. The trees seemed to watch them, and as Morty stared behind Summer, into the woods, he could swear he could see long pale fingers curling around a tree trunk. A few blinks and they were gone, but the feeling of uneasiness did not leave with them.

There was movement in the building. A light, in the attic, turned on, and the sound of footsteps made Morty tense. Rick took a swig from his flask and sauntered to the door, where he didn’t have to knock before it was flung open.

Two teenagers, just a little younger than Morty, stood breathless and trembling at the door. The nearest, the boy, had one arm out in front of the girl- who seemed to be his sister, if their appearance was anything to go by, and the other held open the door. The girl, standing only a few centimetres shorter, held onto his extended limb, though with excitement, it seemed- only the boy seemed wary.

“Who- who are you?” The boy asked, staring slack-mouthed at Rick, who rolled his eyes again.

“Rick Sanchez, I’m here to de-“ he paused to burp, “liver these two for the, the summer.”

The boy looked beyond their grandfather, his eyes resting on Morty’s for a few seconds, before he frowned at Rick, “It’s 4:30”

“Whatever.”

“Did you arrive in a spaceship?” the girl shrieked, leaping from behind her brother, “That’s amazing! I’m Mabel, this is Dipper, you must be the Sanchezes!” 

“Yep” Rick said, ignoring the “Smith” name which applied to his grandchildren, who stood rather awkwardly some way away from the shack, shivering in the cold.

“You two look so cold,” Mabel fussed, rushing to hug both siblings at once, “I’ll make you sweaters!”

“Wha-“ Morty started, but was interrupted by Melody’s voice at the door, making Dipper- who had been glaring suspiciously at Rick- jump.

“Well hello there! Early risers, aren’t you?”

“No” both Sanchez-Smith children said.

“Y-y-y-ou kids should get to bed,” Rick said, “Thanks Melody,” he ruffled Morty’s hair and patted Summer’s shoulder, swigging from the flask as he swung his leg into the ship, “Bye kids.”

“Bye” both Sanchez-Smith children said, unamused. 

The UFO took flight, shaking slightly as its drunk driver manoeuvred it. 

“What a nice man,” Mabel said, her arm linked with Morty’s. 

///

Sleep, it seemed, would be impossible to achieve. 

Summer and Morty’s small suitcases had been placed at the end of the other beds, Summer’s opposite Mabel’s and Morty sitting on the far end of the bed opposite the one on which Dipper now sat cross-legged. Mabel wasn’t on her bed, but instead had taken half of Summer’s as her space for now, where she sat with her hands on Summer’s arm, drawing the older girl’s bemused expression away from her phone as she rambled excitedly about the adventures they were going to have and boys they were going to meet. “There are boys in this little town?” Summer asked, somewhat curious, it seemed, and Mabel shrieked with excitement.

Dipper glanced at Morty, debating the best way to strike a conversation. The other boy sat with one foot on the floor, his skinny wrists wrapped around the other knee, hugging it to his chest. He stared at the floor somewhat angrily, somewhat defeated and mostly tired. He hadn’t said a word since they’d arrived.

As Dipper stared, a little hopelessly at the boy’s sullen but endearing face, Morty glanced up, meeting his eyes. Dipper looked quickly back down at his journal, which was open in his crossed legs. 

“Soooo” Morty said, finally, and his voice was softer than earlier, nervous, “Wha-wha- how long have y-you been c-coming here?”

“This is the second time, but we were twelve when we first came,” Dipper said, pleased to be addressed, “It’s pretty weird here.”

“I-I’ll bet.” Morty said, then his sister scoffed, making him glare at her.

“Whatever Morty, with Grandpa Rick we’ve probably seen weirder things than whatever happens here.”

“Have you met a unicorn?” Mabel said competitively. 

Summer smirked, “Have you gone off-planet?”

“What?” Dipper asked, “As in… space travel?”

“Oh yeah,” Summer grinned, “Morty’s gone to other dimensions too, right Morty?”

“U-uh.” Morty said, giving his sister a look, “I-I-I’m not sure we should be t-talking about it.” 

“We’ve defeated a demon!” Mabel exclaimed, jumping up onto her feet.

Dipper was confused, and curious. They had arrived, it was true, in some sort of hand-made spacecraft, but Ford had told him inter-dimensional travel was incredibly dangerous, and Morty didn’t look like someone who could handle the things Stan said Ford had had nightmares about, let alone those too horrible to tell the family.

He was suspicious, and let the three talk while he wrote in his journal.

“Sunday 25th June

The Sanchezes arrived in a spaceship, at half four in the morning. If what they say is true, this could completely change everything! I must find out if they’re being truthful, but there’s no time for that this morning. I’ll invite everyone into the woods with me and Soos tomorrow. It might be dangerous for them, but I’m confident that myself and Mabel can protect them if needs be.

I have searched Ford’s journal for creatures with yellow-eyes, and have come up with nothing. Werewolves retain their human eyes, big cats have, well, cat’s eyes and Soos said these seemed normal, just large. The mothman has red eyes. I cannot find recordings of a cryptid or other animal which may have had eyes like that. 

Therefore, I am forced to enter the woods mentally un-armed, which concerns me. Perhaps bringing Morty and Summer along might not be a good idea. I’ll ask Mabel tomorrow.”

///

Morty awoke, for not the first time, by someone leaping onto his bed and grabbing his pajama shirt with both hands. For the first time in some time, however, this action was not accompanied by the stench of vodka and alien alcohol but by a sickly strawberry smell, which confused him. 

“Morty!” Mabel’s face was dizzingly close, her hair falling onto his and tickling his skin, “It’s breakfast time!”

She crawled back off him, leaping from the bed and towards Summer, who was sat with her hands on her knees, feet on the floor, still blinking and bleary from sleep. 

He turned to look beyond her, where her brother was sitting against his headboard, writing furiously in his journal, not paying anyone- including his now jumping-up-and-down sister- attention. Morty wondered how smart this boy was; his mum had told him that Dipper was a scientist of sorts, like Rick, and his great uncle who was coming to visit was as well, but the other boy seemed the exact opposite of Rick. He seemed well-meaning, and sensible. 

Morty also, secretly, deep down, thought that Dipper was very handsome. 

“We’re going to head into the woods after breakfast,” Dipper said suddenly, and Morty was aware that he had been staring, “Do you two want to come?”

Morty thought back to the long pale fingers, “M-m-maybe. Those woods g-give me the creeps.”

Summer, whose attention was now back on her phone, said without hesitation, “No.”

Mabel squeaked, “Oh come on Summer, Morty! There’s nothing to be afraid of! You have us,” she grabbed Dipper around the neck, “The mystery twins!”

“Please stop calling us that.”

“Nope!”

Morty sighed. He had a feeling there wasn’t exactly an option, “O-okay then. S-sure.” 

Summer glanced up at her brother, slightly surprised, then rolled her eyes, “Okay fine I’ll come with.” Dipper wondered if anyone had told her she looked like her grandfather. 

The smell of syrup, and pancakes had begun to drift through the house, and he was hungry. He quickly finished his journal entry and followed the others downstairs. 

“Sunday 25th June- Continued

Myself, Mabel, Soos and the Sanchez-Smiths will be heading into the woods to begin investigations after breakfast. I am certain we will find something in the woods around the Mystery shack, but whether its Soos’ creature I cannot promise. 

The Gravity Falls woods are a large expanse of trees and wildlife that surround the entire town, but grow particularly thick around the Mystery Shack and surrounding area. Fiddleford once told me that the residents of Gravity Falls go missing in these woods on a regular basis, but it’s rarely discussed. While he is not always reliable, the concept is more than plausible, and compelling. I will also keep an eye out for this phenomenon during my stay here this summer.”

///

“I’ve got the stuff, dudes.” Soos declared, dropping a heavy bag full of supplies on the floor in front of them.

“Camera, Water, Compass, Suncream, Crisps, Chocolate,” Dipper said, pulling each thing out the bag, “And more crisps and chocolate.”

“Can’t hunt monsters on an empty stomach.” Soos said sagely.

“No… weapons of any kind?” Summer asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“I’ve got my grappling hook!” Mabel grinned, but was suddenly distracted before Summer could tell her it wasn’t technically a weapon, by the sounds of a truck approaching..

“Dipper!” she gasped, jumping up and down, “It’s Waddles!”

“W-waddles?” Morty asked as they watched her sprint towards the “WE HAUL ANIMALS” truck that had parked outside the shack.

“Mabel’s pet pig.” Dipper explained.

“Ah dude he’s like four years old now right?” Soos asked, “So what does he weigh like a ton?”

Dipper sighed, “He is pretty big to live with us in a normal house.”

As they watched, a large, loud pig was cuddled tightly by Mabel, before following her as she ran back towards them, “Great! Now Waddles can come with us!”

Summer sighed, “I suppose the pig can bite it.” 

“Waddles is a pacifist.” Mabel declared, and the pig oinked in agreement.

“What the fuck?” Summer asked her brother as quietly as possible as they followed the others into the woods.

“I wanna go home.” Morty said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave kudos/Review they legit make me so happy!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I may have.... creeped up the monsters in the gravity falls woods a little. Deffo didnt scare myself a little bit or anything...

The air was chill, and Morty shivered as he followed the group deeper into the woods. The branches of the trees were high and pointed towards the sky, so the gaps should have been large in between their trunks- but there was a low-lying mist, and the trees were so frequent there were only a few paths in sight- the one they were following, and the two which made up the fork a few paces ahead.

Dipper paused at the fork in the road, looking around in what looked like either confusion or determination- he was hard to read. Rick was easier to read, Morty thought, though he was unpredictable at fondest description, he wore his thoughts- at least the immediate ones- on his face. Their new leader…. Morty wasn’t quite so sure. Perhaps he would just have to get used to Dipper. 

Summer seemed to have warmed up to their company- or to the pig, at least, which was happily eating the popcorn she and Mabel were throwing to it while Dipper and Soos tried to decide which way to turn.

“Dudes!” A girl’s shout made them all turn around, and a beaming ginger woman approached fast on a bicycle, followed by two other young people, also on bikes. 

“Wendy!” Mabel grinned, “You made it!”

“Of course!” Wendy grinned, flashing a grin at them, “Who’s this?”

“Summer Smith-Sanchez,” Summer said, suddenly, quick, in a strange sort-of-choked voice, extending her hand like an automated response. 

Morty looked at her, baffled, as she blushed and shook the girl’s hand, then introduced himself, trying not to stutter.

“This is Robbie and Tamry, they’re my ex and my best friend- and they’re getting married next year!” Wendy said like it was a joke to her- perhaps it was in the past.

“Hi”  
“Hi”

The newcomers were strangely dressed, but it was nothing Morty, Summer or any “normal” teenager would have seen before. Robbie wore a worn-out hoodie with a broken heart graphic on the front, tight skinny jeans and converses. He was pale, but not as deathly pale as Mabel or Dipper remembered, and his hair curved into a cowlick rather than falling over his face in an emo fringe. He smiled, hand in the girl’s beside him. She had purple hair, half-shaved and thrown over the other side of her head, multiple face piercings and a tattoo that spiralled up her neck from her chest, which was partially hidden by a purple skater dress. Like Wendy, she wore large wellies for the mud, but they didn’t exactly suit her look. Morty thought they looked a little bit like they’d have bullied him, if they’d gone to school together.

“We thought we’d tag along,” Robbie said, “If that’s okay with you, Dipper.”

Dipper looked astonished. His mouth opened slightly in a gaping motion, before shutting abruptly and changing into a pleasant- if not wary- smile, “Of course, if you want to.”

“I’d also like to quickly say sorry for the past,” Robbie said, addressing the group as a whole, “I was going through some things, and I took it out on you people and it wasn’t fair- especially you Dipper.”

Tamry held onto her fiance’s arm as he spoke, nodding encouragingly. The group consensus was that it was absolutely fine, “We’re all weird as teenagers” Wendy grinned, “These lot still are!” she ruffled Dipper’s hair affectionately. 

Morty felt a slight pang of jealousy: probably jealous of Dipper, he thought to himself, she’s your type exactly, it’s not like you’re into him or anything. Maybe if he kept thinking it he could convince himself it was true.

“So what’re we looking for, boss?” Wendy asked Dipper, hands on hips. 

“Well we’re just sorta looking for signs of this thing,” Dipper said, flicking through his ipad, where the contents of Ford’s journals and his own were available at a touch of the screen, “And recording what we find. We’ll need to come at night to see anything, I think.” 

“Yawn,” Summer muttered to Morty, who rolled his eyes in response.

“At l-l-least we’ll be safe?” 

Summer looked at him then, expression unreadable, before she rolled her eyes and followed the rest of the teenagers down the path to the right. Morty stood still for a few moments, glancing around anxiously, before hurrying to follow after them.

///

Melody was having a good, if not uneventful morning. The sun was just becoming hot as it rose in the sky, she could see it on the tourists’ heat-reddened faces as they entered the Mystery Shack. “Good morning,” she greeted, “The next tour of the museum will be in ten minutes, but you’re free to walk yourselves through if you’d prefer!” 

The group, a young family, stopped to buy a bottle of water and then went through the museum entrance without so much as an acknowledgement. “Good thing, really.” She muttered, wondering who would watch the shop if she was giving tours like Soos usually did. 

An hour or so passed by. Her stomach began to complain for food, and she grimaced, glancing out the window into the woods. Soos and the kids had been gone for three hours now- a long time to go walking in the woods. Especially Gravity Falls’ woods. She hoped they’d brought plenty of water- and holy water at that. 

The sound of a car pulling into the car park made her stand up straighter, ready to greet the customers. 

“I’m telling ya Ford, they’ll be off the walls excited!” A familiar voice made her gasp and pat herself down, wanting to look as presentable as possible.

“I’m sure they will be, Stanley- you are.” The deep voice of Stanford Pines confirmed her suspicions, and she rushed to the door.

“Hi!” she half-yelled, “We weren’t expecting you until tomorrow!”

Stanford and Stanley Pines stood smiling on the porch, wind-swept and sun-warmed, Stan in a white vest, Ford in his signature turtleneck. They both looked much younger than she remembered, much happier- calmer. They had smile-lines among their wrinkles. Melody wrapped them both into a hug, inviting them into the room beyond the giftshop, leaving a “Gone a’Huntin Mysteries!” sign on the desk. 

“I’ll just radio Soos to tell him there’s a surprise waiting here for him and the kids!” she grinned, sitting the men down on the sofa- a much newer, comfier leather thing than Stan’s old couch. 

She pressed the “TALK” button on her radio, met with static. “Huh” she pressed it again- again nothing. “I’m sure it’s fine.” She smiled, pressing again, “Soos? Come in Soos.”

There was nothing, just the static of a radio left on its own. 

“I’m just gonna… go find him. Stay here.” Melody said, going to the gift shop. She pulled down a concealed shelf under the desk, and withdrew her tranquiliser gun. “If it’s the gnomes again I swear to god.” She muttered, hurrying into the woods. 

///

The kids hadn’t seen any gnomes. In fact, they hadn’t seen anything interesting at all, which was making most of the group languid and irksome, and Dipper concerned. The only reason he could think of for the lack of mystical beings in Gravity Falls woods- especially in this part of the woods which bordered the enchanted woods- was that something much more frightening was residing there. 

“Dipperrrr,” Mabel moaned, hanging off his arm, “Can we go back I’m boreeeedddd.”

Dipper sighed, looking around the small clearing they’d found themselves in, “Isn’t it odd, to you guys that we haven’t seen anything weird?”

“I think I’m seeing something weird,” Summer muttered to Morty, making him laugh, then grow quiet as his conscience made an appearance and guilt bubbled in his chest. 

“What do you mean?” Mabel asked, looking at her brother with gentle concern.

“Where are the gnomes? Bigfoot tracks?” he asked hypothetically, and continued when she just frowned in response; “Maybe they’re not here anymore. Because something else is.”

“What would scare everything else away?” Wendy asked, standing a little away from the group in the trees, hands on her hips, back turned to them, “It doesn’t make sense. There aren’t even any birds singing here.”

Silence fell over the group as they listened for the non-existent bird calls, followed by mutters of agreement and wonder. Mabel tickled Waddles’ chin, making the pig grunt in approval, as she tried not to become nervous. 

“Maybe we should head back, Dipp-“ Wendy began, stopping suddenly and tensing visibly, “Hey, you guys see that?”

Through the fog, where Wendy was, you could just about make out long white fingers, more like claws or talons than human digits, eight of them, curling around a tree trunk. 

The thing made a low growling noise, and fear ran up her spine like a shiver. 

“See what?” Dipper asked, crossing the group to stand beside her, squinting into the fog. 

“Those fingers.” She said, tilting her head to one side, “What in the world?”

Morty’s head snapped up at her words, “F-fingers?” 

The group turned to look at him, confused. “I-i-I’ve s-s-seen fingers here b-before. White ones?”

Wendy nodded, looking increasingly concerned towards Dipper, who turned from Morty to the trees, and began to approach the thing- just a few steps, until he could make something out. 

He saw no yellow eyes, only the deathly pale skin of this thing as it crouched down, it had human-like legs and arms, but they were longer and yellow-white, fleshy but monstrous. Its skin seemed too-tight for its body; as he looked closer he could see the pulsing of organs in its chest under rib-bones which stuck out in a horrific way, giving the creature an insect-like appearance. Its face was almost featureless, with dark sunken eyes, and a mouth which, thankfully, remained closed. It could have stood to six foot or so, but as they watched it began to sprint away on all fours, leaving Dipper frozen in fear, the others behind him screaming for him to get away from it. 

///

Melody made her way through the forest without much hesitation. As a resident of Gravity falls, she was used to the low mist which clung to the trunks of the trees, her torch hanging unnecessarily in her belt. Every twenty steps or so she’d buzz the radio in the hopes her fiancé would respond, but the signal was bad- worse than it had been since their occupation of the shack. 

She was too far away from the group to hear their encounter with the creature, but as she walked through the woods she could hear the faint approach of running footsteps, and suddenly she saw them all, running as fast as their legs could carry them, even the pig. 

“Woah what happened?” she called, and Soos responded,

“Just run Melody, we’ll tell you later.”

Melody was not stupid, so she twirled on her ankles and began to run too, noting only now the lack of life in the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So erm yeah please review and leave kudos if you liked it! also anyone know what this thing is from my description? :O

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment and leave kudos, i literally squeak with happiness every single time!


End file.
